Chilled to the bone … several skeletons have been found at Windhouse in Yell, Shetland.
Photograph: Alamy

Winning tip: Try not to Yell, Shetland

Windhouse, on Yell, is probably Shetland’s most haunted house. Last year, two 13th-century skeletons were uncovered at this 18th-century ruin, which is reputedly haunted by a lady in silk, a man in a top hat, a servant girl and a dog. There are reports of skeletal remains of a woman, man and child found in separate incidents between the 1880s and 1900s, as well as the story of the shipwrecked sailor who spent a night in the house one Christmas and had to fight off a monster with an axe. The house can be visited for free anytime – and if you’re feeling brave, the gatehouse is now run as a camping pod by Shetland Amenity Trust (£12pp, sleeps 8, Mar-Oct).Charlotte

Leathery old chap, Northumberland

Staff and visitors at Woodhorn Museum have reported many spinechilling sightings across the museum and Victorian colliery heritage site. One strange sighting is the mysterious Man in a Leather Apron. This intimidating figure has been mistaken for a rather eccentric costumed interpreter, but the museum doesn’t use costumed interpreters, and despite many sightings, the man has never been caught on camera. Leather aprons would have been worn by many mine workers, including the colliery blacksmith. An annual membership pass to Woodhorn Museum costs £7 and kids go free.Liz Ritson

Cooking up a storm, Antrim coast

Dunluce Castle ruin stands like a row of bad teeth on a black sliver of rock that falls down to the Atlantic Ocean. It is on two cliffs bridged by a narrow backbone of rock with awesome views in all directions. Peeping through empty stone window frames past the seabirds circling below, it is hard not to consider the stormy night in 1639 when the cooks tumbled to their deaths as the ocean gobbled up the castle’s kitchens; or to imagine, over the wind and surf, the screaming of 1,300 sailors of the Spanish Armada as the sea smashed the galley Girona to pieces against the Port-Na Spaniagh cliffs on 26 October 1588, swallowing all but nine souls (who were received by chief Sorley Boy MacDonnell and sent to Scotland).Mark

Some wag’s tale, Kent

One of the most beautiful hostelries in Kent, the 14th-century Star and Eagle in Goudhurst has long been haunted by a mysterious invisible dog – so much so that the owners no longer put guests in the particular room that it seems to inhabit. Previous occupants report hearing a dog whining, snuffling and scratching throughout the night, stopping them sleeping. Strangely for a dog, it shows little interest in the ground-floor pub or restaurant – but we had it direct from the owners that it’s been quite a problem in the upstairs rooms and that an array of doggy treats and rawhide chews have so far failed to placate it.Ros Kazi

It’s all in the execution, Wapping, east London

The Prospect of Whitby in Wapping (built around 1520 close to the infamous Execution Dock), is said to be haunted by the ghosts of Mary Frith (AKA Moll Cutpurse) and the cruel Judge John Jeffreys. Frith was a larger-than-life virago, crossdresser, pickpocket and madame in 17th century London, and the subject of a play (The Roaring Girl). Jeffreys often drank in the Prospect, which was his local; he died in 1689 while incarcerated at the nearby Tower of London, after being identified by a former victim in another Wapping pub. The Prospect was once known as the Devil’s Tavern because of its gruesome reputation. There are amazing views over the river and a noose hangs outside, commemorating Jeffreys’ grisly deeds. Caroline

She took the first exit, West Bromwich, West Midlands

The ruins of an old priory sit near the A41/M5 Junction 1 roundabout, in West Bromwich. They are occupied by the ghost of an old nun. She presents herself as a hitchhiker and gets into the back seats of cars. She says she is trying to find her sister and asks to be driven to the Heath Lane cemetery. Drivers say their cars immediately become very cold. When they look in their rear view mirror they cannot see her reflection. She lets out a shriek and vanishes. Drivers often experience mechanical trouble at the roundabout. But it’s not an ideal place to break down.Ranjeev Kumar

Free to roam, Northumberland

The stark silhouette of Winter’s Gibbet is an arresting diversion on the lonely climb from Elsdon to the summit of Steng Cross in Redesdale. A deserted and windblown place today, the route was once a busy cross-border drove road. It was here, in 1791, that William Winter’s corpse was left to rot in a gibbet cage following his execution, along with two female accomplices, for the murder of a local woman, Margaret Crozier. Winter’s ghost is reputed to roam the moorland, eternally tied to the place of his crime and the monument dedicated to his disgrace.Leanne

Ladies’ nights, Staffordshire

Tamworth Castle, despite being next to a shopping centre, can be quite eerie at night and offers ghost hunts. Not that I believe in that stuff. The two main ghosts are the Black Lady, a ninth-century nun called Editha who had been expelled and was first seen as a ghost in the 12th century, and the White Lady, who was killed by a knight with whom she had fallen in love. Quite a few people claim to have seen the ghosts, however there are also a number of pubs in the immediate area. It’s a cracking little Norman castle, though. Haunted evenings (28 October-2 November) £7.50 adult; £5.50 child. Antony T

Gothic go-to, North Yorkshire

Whitby Abbey in the mist, framed in a whale’s jawbone. Photograph: Alamy

For me, there’s no more beautiful haunted place than the spectacular crumbling ruins of Whitby Abbey on the north-east coast of England. From its high perch at the top of cliffs overlooking the picturesque seaside town, it’s a place to experience the full force of a storm, or watch bats flit about at dusk. It’s no surprise that these marvellous Gothic ruins were the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The town also sells jet - a glistening black stone that makes the most beautiful (and spooky) jewellery. See the Abbey illuminated at night for Halloween, 25-31 Oct (adult £10, child £6, family £26).Jenny

Neigh-sayers, Suffolk

Newmarket, the horse racing capital of the world, has several ghost stories attached to it, including a headless horseman who roams the heath at night. Each morning you can see the wonderful sight of hundreds of horses exercising in the mist. Then there’s my personal experience at the age of 16, when with two friends I was exploring an abandoned racehorse yard. It was night. We had finished exploring and were heading back down the tree-lined driveway towards the hole in the fence that we’d come in through when, 50 metres ahead, a lady in a long white dress appeared then suddenly vanished. True story.Charles Swallow

This article contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase. All our journalism is independent and is in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative. The links are powered by Skimlinks. By clicking on an affiliate link, you accept that Skimlinks cookies will be set. More information.